The present invention pertains to the field of information retrieval using computer networks. More particularly, the present invention relates to providing supplementary relevant information to the user of a computer on a network without changing the user""s context.
The explosion in growth of the World Wide Web (Web), and particularly the Internet and web sites, has resulted in vast amounts of information being available to users. Web sites often use HyperText Markup Language (HTML), embedded Universal Resource Locators (URL), and other xe2x80x9ctagxe2x80x9d mechanisms to provide hyperlinks between Web pages as well as interactivity and links to additional information or resources.
Current ways of accessing information on the Web have certain shortcomings. For example, a common way for acquiring information on the Web requires the user, when viewing a Web page, to actively select, (e.g., via a mouse click) a source or hyperlink for the additional information. It is sometimes undesirable for users to have to select a hyperlink to view additional information related to a Web page. The user may become lost or have difficulty returning to his starting point if he does this action repeatedly. Another approach requires the user to click on a word to open a menu, which may then take the user to another page. Again, the requirement for the user to click and further select is present. Another approach uses a combination of a keystroke and a mouse click, e.g., holding down the xe2x80x9cAltxe2x80x9d key while clicking on a word. With these navigation approaches, the user is often taken to another Web page, menu, or another Web browser opens up with the information. Often the user""s screen becomes cluttered, and the user may become confused, frustrated, or unable to return to where he wants. The result may be lost Web site consumer sales and upset users. The ability to maintain the same user context while providing supplemental information may reduce these undesirable results.
Additionally, information available to a user selecting a hyperlink generally has several other limitations. One is the static nature of the information. The information is intended to be viewed by anyone and so is necessarily generic and general purpose in nature. Thus, it is not tailored to a particular viewer. Another limitation is the static nature of the link itself. The link is not capable of changing based upon a particular viewer. The ability to personalize the nature of the information and its retrieval based on user-defined criteria may be beneficial.
A method of providing information to a user of a processing system includes identifying a position of a user-controlled pointer on a display device of the processing system, determining if the position coincides with an item of interest, and if the position coincides with the item of interest, retrieving the information associated with the item of interest dynamically without requiring any further action from the user, and displaying the information on the display device.